The cradle of crystal Christmas decorations

Getting out the Christmas decorations, I came across this crystal grape. I bought three of these some years ago when visiting the village of Meisenthal in the Vosges region in the north east of France. It was in this village that glass and crystal Christmas decorations were originally developed.

Authentic Meisenthal Christmas decoration.

The story goes that in the old days, people used to decorate their tree with items and objects they found in the woods, the garden and the orchards. Those would include pine apples, apples, moss, mistletoe, colourful stones and even shells. The apples and pine apples were the most popular though.

And then one year, famine struck the country and anything slightly edible ended up in the kitchen. Using apples and pine apples for purely decorative purposes would have been a complete waste of good food.

The people of Meisenthal, who had been making glass objects since the 15th century, decided to put their usual trade to good use to create new Christmas decorations. This gave birth to the glass Christmas balls we see nowadays. At first the glass spheres were transparent white, until the master glass blowers started adding colour and shape to the Christmas balls. Or their wives decorated the original white objects with miniature painted scenes.

Today the old factory is closed and some of the former glass blowers now work as tour guides, explaining the production of crystal, the ingredients and techniques that are used, etc. Knowing their business very well, the tour is very interesting. It kept us captivated for almost two hours. It ends in a museum where some of the factory's most prestigious pieces are on display. Amongst them are many vases and bowls created by the great Art Déco artist Emile Gallé who was attached to the Meisenthal factory from 1867 to 1870. Here he developed his famous ‘pâte de verre’ (glass paste) technique.

However, the last part of the visit is the most surprising. There is the mandatory souvenir shop, of course, but in this case it looks more like a glass display case filled with the most exquisite and delicate glass objects. No kitschy or tacky tourist souvenirs here ... I promise you!

Whilst you’re walking through the semi-darkness of the shop – the only light is in the display cases, making the glass and crystal object sparkle like genuine diamonds – you can feel the temperature in the room going up. The closer you get to the large glass wall in the back of the room, the hotter it gets. A door in the said wall leads unto a landing overlooking a workshop. Here the heat strikes you in the face and cuts your breath as soon as you step onto the landing.

In the workshop below a furnace is burning at full power. In front of it are two young men modelling the burning hot glass paste that sits at the end of a two meter long blowing pole. Every now and then they put it back in the furnace to make sure that the glass remains mouldable. Next they roll in through some coloured powder, before blowing more air through the pole, in order to make the glass expand. Finally they put it in a metal mould and continue blowing until the glass object has reached the required shape and volume. Fascinating!

We stayed for about 10 minutes on the landing watching the young men going about their business. Back in the shop we were hot and flushed ... We learned that the temperature near the furnace was somewhere between 50 and 60° C. No wonder those young men looked so skinny!

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Civet de Marcassin – the recipe

During our yearly early December outing to the Gaume region, I usually buy some wild boar meat to make a ‘civet de marcassin’. This year was no different, and I bought a kilogram of extremely nice lean meat at a little butcher’s shop in Habay-la-Neuve. It cost just over 10 euro, which is very good value, considering that 1 kilogram will serve four.

These are the ingredients you need:

1 kg of lean wild boar meat cut into 5 to 7 cm diameter chunks
150 grams of ‘lardons’, strips of lean salted bacon
150 grams of mushrooms
2 medium-sized onions
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
½ litre of game stock (you can also use red wine or a dark abbey beer), but I prefer the game stock
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of red currant jelly or any other sweet-sour jelly
2 small tablespoons of flower
3 to 4 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
3 bay leaves

This is what you do:

Put a generous portion of butter in a frying pan; let it meld until it is sizzling golden brown. Sear the chunks of boar meat in the hot butter. It’s best to do this in small batches. Add a little more butter before putting in the following batch. Before putting in the meat, make sure that it is nice and dry. Best is to wipe it with a paper kitchen towel before throwing it in the hot butter. That way, you avoid that the meat starts boiling in its own juices.

Set the pan with the meat aside and start preparing the other ingredients. Roughly slice the onions, clean the mushrooms and cut them into slices.

Next, put a tablespoon of butter in a 'Le Creuset' type pot and add the sliced onion. Stir well until the onion becomes transparent. Add the strips of bacon and let them fry gently with the onions. Add a generous tablespoon of Dijon mustard and stir in well. I admit that at this point the mixture doesn’t look very attractive… but persevere… the result will be worth your while!

Add the chunks of fried meat to the pot and stir well. At this point add pepper and salt to taste. Next gently shake two small tablespoons of flower over the meat and the other ingredients. In French this is called ‘singer’. Use a wooden spatula to stir the flower into the pot’s content.

Add enough game stock (or wine or beer) to cover 80% of the pot’s content. Stir again. Put in the bay leaves, the thyme, the sugar and the red currant jelly. Stir one last time, for now … Put the lid on the pot, turn down the heat to a slow simmer, and let gently bubble away for at least 2.5 hours. Check every 30 minutes or so to control the heat and to stir all the ingredients so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. After 2.5 hours, add the raw sliced mushrooms and rectify the taste by adding some more sugar, pepper or salt, if necessary. Let simmer for another 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, but let the pot sit on the stove to cool down.

'Civet de marcassin’ can be eaten straight away with mashed potatoes or ‘croquettes’, half a oven cooked apple filled with cranberry sauce, or a pear stewed in red wine or braised endives. But like most stews … it’s even better the next day. Just heat it up gently for half an hour and serve the same way!

I bet you’ll like it. Bon appétit!

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Wild boar running free

Twenty to thirty years ago eating wild boar was considered as a luxury. The meat was rare and rather expensive. It was only available during the hunting season, from the beginning of October till the end of January. And you only had it on very special occasions. But times have changed and today you can get the meat all year round. That’s mainly due to the fact that the hunt is no longer limited to the above mentioned months. And for once the environmentalist and animal protection organizations don’t protest. Over the last years the number of wild boar has rapidly increased and in some regions the animals even disturb the ecological balance and become a menace to the population.

Photo : www.lavalleesauvage.com

Some years ago we were having lunch on the terrace of a restaurant in the tiny village of Willers, in France just across the border with Belgium. Suddenly we heard a rustle in the nearby undergrowth, followed by a snorting noise. Luckily the undergrowth was fenced in because to our surprise the snout of a fierce wild board appeared from between the branches. The animal stared at us with nasty eyes and stamped with one of his short forepaws. When my friend ticked with his knife against his glass, thus producing a sharp, high-pitched noise, the wild boar snorted again, turned around and disappeared in the bushes.

When the waitress came to serve our meal we told her what had happened and asked whether the boar was the restaurant’s pet. She looked slightly alarmed. “No, of course not. Was he back?” she enquired. It turned out that the boar which was a wild one, had been terrorizing the village for weeks. One day it had walked into the village square where it had chased after a little Yorkshire terrier belonging to one of the villagers. The little dog had made a narrow escape and the boar had been back regularly looking for a new victim. Hunters had tried to track it down, but the animal had always managed to disappear in the woods before someone could take a shot at it.

To reduce the overpopulation organized hunting is authorized all year round. The ‘civet de marcassin’ is the most common type of boar meat available. The low fat meat is cut in chunks with a diameter of 5 to 7 cm. It’s stewed on a low heat for two to three hours until it is nice and tender. The name ‘marcassin’ is in fact wrongly used as a ‘marcassin’ is a baby boar, a piglet, while the ‘civet’ is from an adult animal. The little piglets look particularly cute with their striped coat, which makes it looks as if they were wearing pajamas

In an earlier post – When Miss Piggy goes walkabout – I’ve written about an old practice that consists of breeding piglets with a wild boar and a domestic pig, thus creating a ‘sanglochon’, a half-breed swine with an extremely tender and slightly gamy tasting meat. The ‘sanglochon’ piglets are the cutest, with either a striped bottom and pink top, or the other way round.

Last week we had ‘civet de marcassin’ twice: the first time at La Bleue Maison and the second time, on Sunday, my home made version. Although they tasted slightly different, they were both delicious. I’ll post the recipe of my home made version tomorrow, in case you’re interested.

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Saint Nicolas Day

Yesterday, December 6th, was Saint Nicolas Day in Belgium. He is considered as the patron saint of the mariners and small children. The Bishop of Myra, as Saint Nicolas was originally called, was born in the year 270 A.C. in Pataras in Asia. He is said to have brought three unfortunate orphans back to life. During a storm they had sought refuge in a butcher shop. The cruel butcher looking for an easy profit, drugged the children, killed them and cut them into pieces, after which he then put them in a tank filled with brine.

The Bishop of Myra who happened to be passing by saw what had happened and brought the children back to life. The good man himself died on December 6th, 340.

Saint Nicolas in his typical outfit

For children in Belgium, Holland and France December 6th is the best day of the year, because on this particular day Saint Nicolas showers them with candy and toys.

The ‘Sint’, as he’s commonly called, arrives in November. He comes from Spain, where he lives and travels to Antwerp in a steamer. He’s accompanied by his white horse and several ‘Black Peters’. The head Peter has a large book in which he keeps an update of how children have behaved over the last year. Good children get gifts, bad children are punished. That is why so many very small children are afraid of the Black Peters.

On the eve of Saint Nicolas day, you put your shoe by the chimney. In it you put a carrot for the ‘Sint’s’ horse and next to it you leave a cup of coffee for Saint Nicolas and a glass of beer for Black Peter. The beer is a recent addition! Don’t forget to leave a letter with a list of the gifts you want to receive. You can also mail in advance … our Belgian post will make sure that your letter arrives! Make sure to give your parents a copy in case the letter gets lost. The next morning, and if you have been good, the carrot will be gone and the cup and glass will be empty. Next to them you’ll find chocolate, ‘speculoos’, tangerines and toys. Mind you, you don’t always get what you’ve asked for …

For years, for instance, I asked for a miniature electric train, but I never got one. My father explained to me that he had told the ‘Sint’ that little girls didn’t play with miniature trains. What a shame! However, being an only child, Saint Nicolas has always been very generous to me. I got Barbie dolls and clothes, a small record player, a cassette deck, …

By the time you turned twelve, the trick was let your parents think that you still believed in Saint Nicolas. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. Although I’m over fifty now, my mother still buys me a little something on Saint Nicolas Day.

Over the years Santa Claus has become a serious competitor to Saint Nicolas, but I have the impression that lately the good man is gaining some ground again. Good traditions don’t die, do they?

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The other Joan of Arc

In 1871, a fresco representing two medallions with the portrait of a man and a woman were discovered on the 15th century mantle piece in the dining room of the Château de Jaulny. For centuries they had been hidden under the stucco. It was the mayor of the village who told the owners about their existence. Apparently they had been hidden by his great-great grandfather on the eve of the French Revolution, following the instructions of Monsieur des Armoises, the former owner of the castle.

A cosy, bright room in the 'Château de Jaulny'. Did Joan of Arc sleep here?

The portraits are said to represent Joan of Arc and her husband Robert des Armoises, an ancestor of the 19th ‘Monsieur’. At the time, the discovery didn’t really surprise the villagers as, since the end of the middle ages, the figure of Joan of Arc had always been closely linked to the history and the traditions of their village.

According to the official history books Joan of Arc was the daughter of Pierre d’Arc, a poor farmer who lived in Domrémy, in the southern Lorraine region. The house where she was supposedly born still exists and is open to the public. At a young age and being very religious, she claimed to have heard voices telling her that she had been chosen to liberate France from the English.

To make a long story short, when Joan went to see the French dauphin in Chinon he agreed to give her an army, which she led to victory by breaking the siege of Orléans in 1429. This turned out to be the turning point in the 100 year war between the French and the English. She also managed to liberate the city of Reims. Unfortunately, in an attempt to liberate Paris in 1430, Joan was captured by the soldiers of the Duke of Burgundy, who sold her to the English. She was charged with heresy and witchcraft, and burned on the stake in Rouen on May 30th, 1431.

So far the official story! But according to Monsieur des Armoises and the 19th century mayor of Jaulny, Joan was saved at the last moment and someone else was executed in her place. She fled to Jaulny, where she married Robert des Armoises. She took his name but never shared his bed. The marriage was only meant to prevent her enemies from finding her. She died of old age and was buried in the village of Pulligny sur Madon, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department. In the local church lies a 15th century tombstone of which the name and date have been clumsily removed in the 18th century. There is a very reasonable chance that it is Joan of Arc’s grave.

This seems too fantastic to be true, and yet there are many indications that Joan was not who the history books pretend. There is no doubt about her existence or her accomplishments. But it’s her ancestry that is put in doubt. As the daughter of a poor farmer she could never have acquired the military and fighting skills to successfully lead an army into battle. And she wouldn’t have had the means to buy a horse and armour. Only a woman of nobility with a rich father would have had access to this.

Then why Joan of Arc, a remarkable woman of noble birth who had done great things for France in the 15th century, was described as a deeply religious and poor farmer’s daughter? And who was responsible for this?

Today we would say that Joan of Arc was given a facelift and a complete ‘makeover’ by the powerful and well respected 18th century clergy. At that time, the French people were very poor and oppressed by the ever richer and demanding nobility. In order to unite them and provoke a Revolution, a national symbolic hero of humble origin with whom they could easily identify themselves, was needed. This gave birth to the myth of the ‘Maid of Orléans’. Inspired by her great deeds, the French peasants raised their shovels and pick axes against the oppressing nobility, sending many of them to the guillotine, where they underwent the same faith as their heroin: a violent and untimely death. Without this moral support, the peasants would have lacked the courage and motivation to revolt against the nobility. It certainly wouldn’t have helped if they had known that Joan was a noble woman herself!

You think this story is sacrilege? Then take a look at the website of the Château de Jaulny and the many books that have been written about the ‘Other Joan of Arc’. Or just drop in at the Château and ask your hostess to tell you all about it. Her story makes a lot of sense and is very convincing, believe me!

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The village and Château of Jaulny

In 2008, on our return journey from the Alsace, we stayed overnight at the ‘Château de Jaulny’, a surprising B&B in the Lorraine region. The village of Jaulny is situated halfway between Metz and Nancy. It’s a very tiny village indeed, and if it hadn’t been for the ‘Château’, I don’t think we would even have stopped there. The village reached its population peak in 1841 with 500 inhabitants. Since then the number has been going down to an absolute minimum of a mere 170 people in 1990. In 2006, two years before our visit, this number had increased again to 250!

The 'lavoir' in the village of Jaulny.

The main attractions of the village are a beautiful ‘lavoir’, an antique shop, a bar and the Château, of course. When driving to Jaulny coming from the East, you come across the ‘Village disparu’ (the village that has disappeared). By the side of the road, overgrown with bushes and small trees, you’ll see the porch of a church and some old leaning tombstones. They are all that’s left of a village that was completely destroyed during the Battle of Verdun in the First World War.

The drive takes you through some beautiful wooded countryside; until in the distance you see the austere ramparts of the Château. A winding road leads up to the village. There is a small square with at one end the entrance gate to the castle. It was almost four o’clock when we arrived. The hostess was just saying goodbye to a group of visitors she had been showing around. Seeing the typical Belgian red and white license plate of the car, she immediately recognized us as her guests for the night.

Being a keen talker, she started telling us about the history of her château, of which she was obviously very proud. She showed us to our room on the first floor. It was spacious and bright, with a large double bed in an alcove and two windows. One offered a pretty view of the gardens where the colourful autumn flowers were in full bloom. She also showed us the dining room with its peculiar fresco adorning the fire place. We were free to use it to have our usual picnic supper.

After unpacking our luggage, we decided to explore the village. It was a nice autumn afternoon and the walk was invigorating. On our way back we stopped at the local bar to have a drink. We sat on the sidewalk terrace enjoying the sun. It was Sunday, and soon we were joined by two other couples who returned from a long walk through the countryside. Their walking boots were covered in mud and the fur of their dog, a playful Golden Retriever, was wet and dusty.

After our drink, we returned to the château. Our hostess had laid out the table for our supper and joined us soon after we had finished our meal. And then she told us all about the people in the fresco. They were none other than Joan of Arc and her husband – that’s right – her husband, Robert des Armoises!

But Joan of Arc, also known as the 'Virgin of Orleans,' was burned on the stake in Rouen in 1431 at the age of 19, … or wasn’t she?

The mystery was about to be unravelled!

(to be continued)
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Dungeons

Most castles of medieval origin have a dungeon. The dungeon, donjon or keep is the innermost and strongest structure or central tower of the castle. The oldest donjons in the Loire Valley date from the 10th century when the Count of Anjou, the pitiless Foulque Nerra – Black Falcon, started his conquest of the Touraine region. The man was completely unscrupulous, and didn’t shy away from burning his wife and murdering his enemies!

It’s needless to say that his ruthless behaviour provoked violent reactions from his adversaries. The Count therefore had to build strong defences to protect his newly gained territories. One of his most impressive constructions is the ‘Donjon de Montbazon’, south of the city of Tours, in the Indre-et-Loire department.

Donjons weren’t meant to be beautiful or comfortable. They were just intended to keep people out or in! Their first purpose was to protect the lord and master, his staff and soldiers against enemy attacks. Later, when more luxurious and comfortable castles were built within the donjon's grounds, the sturdy towers were used as prisons. The Donjon of Loches is a fine example of this. On one of the floors you can see a copy of the wooden cage in which one of the kings’ rivals (I can’t quite remember his name) was held imprisoned for years in the most beastly conditions.

However, in France there is a donjon that has all the comfort and amenities of a four star hotel: The Château de Jaulny. Last year, during our return trip from the Alsace, we stayed overnight in this charming and surprising B&B in the French Lorraine region. The hostess is a young lady who’s the great-great-great… grand daughter of one of Napoleon’s generals.

During the French revolution the original owners of the château had fled in order to escape from the guillotine. On their return, their castle had been confiscated by the new Regime. When Napoleon came to power, he gave the donjon to the actual owner’s ancestor, as a token of recognition for the general’s brave behaviour during one of his numerous military campaigns.

Like most owners of large historic buildings, the upkeeping became too expensive and the current hostess’ mother was forced to sell a large part of the furniture and other valuable and historic items. Today the old lady is living in a retirement home, while the daughter and her husband run the donjon as a B&B. They have renovated one of the outbuildings in a comfortable modern time home where they live with their two small children.

The intriguing fresco in the dining room of the Château de Jaulny.

Stepping into the large main entrance hall of the dungeon was like walking into another era. The ground floor consisted of a huge dining room with a large fireplace adorned with a very intriguing fresco, a kitchen, a drawing room (that had been condemned and turned into a vast storage room full of antique and very dusty objects). Another room contained a set up of a witch trial that had allegedly taken place at the castle in the 15th century. A large marble staircase led up to the first floor where two comfortable guest rooms with on-suite bathrooms had been installed.

I’m not saying the place was haunted, but it certainly held many secrets … as we would learn later that evening when our young hostess joined us for an after supper drink.

(to be continued)

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